Review: The Best of Both Rogues (Rival Rogues #3) by Samantha Grace
Historical Romance
Released: July 7, 2015
Sourcebooks Casablanca

Reviewed by Sheena

Lady Eve Thorne was devastated when Mr. Benjamin Hillary left her at the altar. She’s no longer that starry-eyed young woman, and now that he’s back, he can go hang… At least that’s what she keeps telling herself. Eve has a new man in her life, and Ben is nothing but trouble.

The worst thing Benjamin Hillary ever did was abandon his bride-to-be on their wedding day. The hardest thing he will ever have to do is watch her marry another man. But once Ben realizes he might have a chance, he’ll do just about anything to win back Eve’s heart—anything.

Favorite Quote: “I’m not a bloody Bedlamite,” he said through gritted teeth.  “Gather your wits before I beat your arse.”

Love triangles do not usually do it for me,  but this was enjoyable.  I am chalking it up to the fact that though there are two suitors, the two blokes are actually working together to allow Lady Eve the man her heart truly desires.  “Unconventional for 100 Alex!”

Reputation in tatters, embarrassed and left jilted at the altar, Lady Eve personifies girl power 1800’s style.  Though brokenhearted, she pulls herself up and evolves into a strong and independent young woman.  She holds all the cards and she knows it.  Abandoned by her beloved without a clue to the rhyme or reason why, she compartmentalizes her love for Ben and moves on with her life and finds companionship with another.   I adored Ben.   He was charismatic and really, really charming and sweet.  I won’t spoil the why’s behind his wedding day dramatic flake out but lets just say all is forgiven as I rooted for him to win Eve’s heart once and for all.

Lively and fast paced, I could not stand to put it down and raced back to it when I had to do so.  The plots and schemes cooked up by Eve’s newly betrothed, Sir Hackberry and Ben were humorous, though laced with a little danger as we learn that Sir Hackberry is not as innocuous as he initially appears.  Eve is in a spot of danger via her engagement to the mysterious Hackberry and Ben intends to save her, win her, wed her and bed here all in one fell swoop!  Quite honestly, I could have done without the subterfuge surrounding the nefarious element threatening Eve.  I believe the second chance love story was strong enough on its own without it and it slowed the pace down some.  Pithy danger clogging up the mix aside, The Best of Both Rogues shines when the focus is on the faux love triangle and Ben’s attempts (along with a little help from Hackberry) to influence Eve to break off the engagement and marry him instead.  The humor and entertainment in Eve’s showing her grit and Ben getting up to speed on how to truly please his lady were my most enjoyed moments.

After living with their father’s mercurial mood and being treated like a leper over the last two years, Eve possessed more inner strength than many ladies her age.  And more than some of her elders too.  “I am not a weak-minded twit in need of smelling salts every time there is a crisis…”

“Men and their honor,” she said with a huff.  “I think you use it as an excuse to behave like fools.”

And it isn’t romance unless there is some hanky panky and copious amounts of spanky going on…

He entered her from behind, his body cradling hers.  With a hand on her hip and another holding her breast, he thrust into her as if desperate to have her, to make her his.  She was his and had been from the moment she’d laid eyes on him.  His mouth grazed her ear, his breath ragged and hot…

Holding tightly he filled her, and when he came, his pleasure seemed to hit him just as hard, and he released a satisfying moan.  His arms cradled him her against him as his chest rose and fell.  He kissed her shoulder, then the back of her neck before he released her long enough to turn her within his arms.

Neither of them spoke as they held each other’s gazes.

Words were inadequate anyway.

The Best of Both Rogues is a gem.  What I loved about this novel is that it is not just Eve’s story, where all the other characters are bit players in the road to her HEA.  The family ties and bonds are humorous and add really good balance to the novel.  I was not solely invested in Eve’s journey as Ben’s background and journey was well fleshed out as well. Quite frankly this was stimulating for me as I did not realize just how much I missed having a strong hero perspective in these historical romance novels.  The hero’s are the expected rake-rogue-dastardly Dukeish kind of men whom our fair ladies have come to fall for.  We know the heroines inside out, however, aside from their rakish good looks and firm, sexy builds, not to mention their predetermined quotient of high-handed behavior, the heroes are not typically so well fleshed out with their own drive.  In Ben we see his mistakes and flaws and even an exceptionally well handled PTSD condition.  Ben and Eve both have high stakes in this novel and we receive a really good story because of the  clever work put into this novel.  I could infer from some context clues that this is a series book, even without knowing it is number three in the series, however, I have no qualms recommending it as a stand alone.  Samantha Grace is a new author for me and I am wholly interested in checking out what else she has to offer!

Grade: B

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